We are starting a new series next week called Kevlar: Bulletproofing Your Relationship

We will spend the next 3 weeks in Proverbs 7 talking about protecting our relationships

Whether you are married, dating, or getting ready to be married, relationships are very important to us. Even if you are not in a relationship, this information will prepare you for whatever relationship God has in store for you

We will be talking about how to protect our relationships against temptation - how to make our relationships bulletproof

This is a great opportunity to invite someone to come join you here at West Pines

Mission Trip Registration

Our summer mission trip registration is officially open.

We are going to Haiti and Guatemala

If you sponsor a child in either of those countries, you will get to meet them on this trip.

We are limited to 25 spots on each trip. Guatemala has two options - a full week trip and then there is a 3 day trip where you will see Compassion’s work there and get to meet your sponsored child.

All the information you need is on the insert in your bulletin.

You can signup on our website

We would love to have you go with us

Expansion Workday

We will be working on the Kids Expansion Tuesday & Wednesday this week. Love to have you join us, 7-9pm.

Sermon Title: Basic Elements, Part 4: Serve

Main Text: Acts 2:42-47, Mark 16:20

Topics:

In Acts 2:42-47 we see what happened at the most embryonic stage of the church. At this point these people simply had the pure unadulterated gospel. This passage in the Bible explains what a community that shares the pure gospel looks like.

One of the descriptions of this group, is that it says that there was an awe of God on all of them. God was working in their midst. It was plain and evident. There was an awe of His power surging through their community.

Evidence of this powerful work of God is the wonders and signs that the apostles were doing. People were being healed through the apostles. Jesus prepared us for this special work of these men. In Mark 16:20 it explains why God chose to work like this:

“And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”

God uniquely worked miracles through the apostles so that people would know that their message was from God.

Scriptures like this may raise some questions:

Miracles are hard to believe. Do you really believe that kind of thing happened? If someone does not believe in God, it is understandable that they would see miracles as illogical. However, if someone does believe in God, then miracles are a rational possibility, whether or not we have witnessed them ourselves. If there is an all-powerful being, then logically He can do supernatural things in this world if He wants. In fact it is logically inconsistent to believe in God and NOT believe in the possibility of miracles.

Should we expect to see miracles in our church? We can absolutely expect to see God move in powerful and even miraculous ways. And we have seen God do incredible things in people’s lives. However, these passages also seem to indicate that this was a particular work through the apostles for a specific reason. God would speak through and direct the future of the church through these men. So he worked miraculous signs through them as a way for the church to know their words were from God. So while we should expect God to do the miraculous in our midst, it will look different than how God worked through the apostles.

This awe they had over what God was doing in their midst was part of what drove them to do things like share their lives together and take care of the needy.

This kind of awe is something that we can and should have too. God may not be working in the same way as He worked through the apostles, but that does not mean that He is working any less in our midst.

We tend to only attribute the supernatural to God. But God is at work through both the natural and the supernatural. He owns both. In fact He loves to work through natural means, He created it. We can celebrate both the natural and supernatural in our midst. Both should bring us to an awe of God.

We should have no skepticism over the supernatural, and no disregard for the natural.

Awe for how God is at work in our midst draws us together. It compels us to share our lives and be a part of what God is doing. When we see what God is doing, the awe that inspires is so irresistible that we want to be a part of it.

This brings us to the question: am I a part of what God is doing? If not, I am missing out!

Key Questions:

What stuck out to you?

Why is it that when something exciting is going on, we naturally want to be a part of it?

Can anyone share a season where they felt a strong sense of fulfillment serving in a church context?

Read Acts 2:42-47.

Of the all victories that were discussed at the weekend services, which one brought you the most awe/excitement/joy?

When there is a victory at church, it is a victory that belongs to all of us. Why do we tend to miss the fact that the victories God does at church are things he’s done through us and not simply the church leadership?

What are common hesitations people have to serving at church?

Of all the hesitations to serve, which usually trips you up the most?

What does someone miss out on if they just attend church and doesn’t serve?

How is it that there can be a sense of fulfillment even in a task that you would not naturally enjoy doing?